Help Sky the dog if you can

Hi all,
Sky is my sweet, silly Pitbull...an 11 year old brawny gal made of 100% pure love. I first brought Sky home as a foster dog almost exactly three years ago (May 23rd, 2018) and quickly realized that fostering her would be a fail. Honestly, at first I was afraid to take her home- she was a nightmare in the shelter, constantly barking and pacing and making herself sick...especially after being there almost eight months. The second Sky set paw into my apartment, she seemed like a completely different dog... she was calm, quiet and happy. She jumped right into my bed, morphing into a snuggly lil Cinnabon laying next to me with her head in my lap. It was that moment that she instantaneously stole my heart and I knew it wasn’t a foster... it was forever.

Recently she has been diagnosed with some heartbreaking health issues. A couple days ago her face started swelling up and I assumed she had some kind of abscessed tooth situation. Unfortunately, the swelling ended up being excess fluid that wasn’t draining properly in her body. We got X-rays done to find that Sky’s heart is enlarged “the size of a house” as the vet said. Although emotionally Sky really does have a heart the size of a (really large) house, physically an enlarged heart is really bad news. The vet said I had some soul searching to do- and that she likely wouldn’t make it more than a week if I did nothing.

Today, I took Sky to see a cardiologist. We got an ultrasound done of her chest, to find that there is a tumor/growth about the size of a plum that is intruding on her heart. Because of this tumor, her heart is not properly functioning or filtering fluid out of her body as it should. The doctor recommended that we do a procedure to remove the fluid from around her heart, to enable it to beat a lil better and hopefully prolong her life. I just got the call that the procedure went well and she is doing good & waking up!!

We will likely have to repeat this procedure again to keep her comfortable. Surgery is a possible future option to remove the tumor as well- but as it stands I cannot even afford the procedure I had done for her today.

As some of you may know, I am in the middle of my own health crisis after being diagnosed with chronic EBV. I’ve been using my “broken arm credit card” to pay out of pocket for my medical treatments, and am now using it for Skys treatments. I am getting uneasy and unsure at what to do next as my balance creeps closer to the max limit, and I’m still not able to work full time. It makes me extremely uncomfortable asking for help in any capacity, but especially financial help after we’ve all been living through our own personal crises via the Covid pandemic. At this point I feel it is my only option, and please help if you want to, but please help only if you have the financial freedom to.

All money donated will go to paying for Skys medical expenses due to her heart condition. I want to do right by her and give her the best golden days/weeks/years of her life despite this heartbreaking diagnosis. As many of you know, I have the softest of soft spots for senior dogs, and Sky is the second grandma doggo that I have adopted. (Miss u Adreann ).

I know that these Heath issues are more likely to occur adopting older dogs, and it pains me that I have not been in the physical or financial shape to do absolutely everything possible for my Sky girl. This is why I am here.

If we raise more money then Sky needs- I will donate the remaining funds to Pawsitivity’s Service dogs for Black Veterans program in St Paul MN. They are making an impactful change by diversifying the service dog community and empowering BIPOC trainers and service dog recipients.

Bonus: Anyone that donates in the LA area will also be entered into a drawing to receive  a hair service from me as a thank you. I will pick two winners and provide a haircut or color service free of charge to both of the winners picked.

Even if you’re just reading this and cannot donate, thank you for reading & caring.
Thank you to all of you, I am grateful for your support and love. Thank you for being you.

Mari Lanae